[YOUTUBE "qaqVwlkTENc"] Many faces have passed through the halls of William McKinley High School.

On Glee's series finale Friday, an impressive number of the show's alums – not to mention some of its more memorable fashion fads and cultural touchstones – appeared in Lima for one last song and dance.

Here are a few of the highlights from the welcome returns, quirky character traits and celebrity cameos from Glee's two-hour finale.

Glee wrapped its six-season run Friday night with a two-hour finale that evoked the best of the show's early days.

Twelve songs – ranging from the saccharine to the sublime – figured into the night's two episodes, "2009" and "Dreams Come True." Some provided character insight, some tugged at the heartstrings, and some were pure expressions of joy.

While the show was creatively as good as its been in a long time during its closing installment, some songs succeeded more than others. Below, our take on how each tune fared.

Over its six seasons, Glee has consistently proven that it can stick a landing, and the series finale was the absolute epitome of the scrappy musical dramedy's ability to obliterate the memory of the bumpy road behind with one revelatory moment of heart-pumping, tear-jerking, can't-stop-yourself-from-smiling, singing-and-dancing glory.

The series's two-hour finale appropriately ended with One Republic's anthemic feel-good tune "I Lived." Indeed, the show "did it all." It was, for better or (often) worse just as messy and ridiculous as life – but, in its best moments, also as uplifting and powerful.

Considering how wildly uneven Glee has been for, well, most of its run, the ending turned out to be pretty darn near pitch-perfect.

Things have changed a lot for our core cast, with many of them going on to star in films (Lea Michele, Dianna Agron) or even become New York Times bestselling authors (Chris Colfer) while still calling Glee their home.

However, even superstars need their first big break – see below for the very first auditions from your Glee faves.

One way to keep the drowsiness at bay on Thanksgiving? Just keep dancing!

A hilarious impromptu dance war erupted Thursday on Instagram among several Dancing with the Stars veterans, beginning with a throwdown between Derek Hough and his season 14 partner, Maria Menounos.

Early in the day, Hough, 28, posted a video of himself and his family, including sister Julianne, boogying down to will.i.am's "That Power" while preparing dinner. "The key to a great meal?? Dance while you cook!" he wrote.

"There was a point where I realized I really wanted to win," Riley, 27, standing alongside partner Derek Hough, told PEOPLE inside the ballroom right after landing the show's highest honor.

"And that point was maybe the last time [I had to put needles in my knees]. The last time I got the knees lubed up was the time that I was like, 'Hey, you know, I feel like I really want to win this, so let's go hard' … It was America's vote and they voted for me and I really appreciate it."